Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by emilyredwood
Can't Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
It kills me to rate a Skyland book so low, but oof this one was tough. If it were any other book or series I would have DNF'd at fifty percent, but I really loved the first two books in this series and wanted so much for Hendrix but this book was a huge miss. My biggest issue by far is Maverick, an MMC who does not deserve an amazing woman like Hendrix. The only thing worse than a man who refuses to listen to a woman when she says "I'm not interested" or "I need space" is a man with so much money that he showers a woman with gifts and attention she literally can't escape while exhibiting the above behaviors. I don't like billionaires in real life or in fiction apparently. The amount of times Hendrix told Maverick that she wanted to focus on her career and not jeopardize a very important professional relationship for the sake of a potential romance and he blatantly ignores her clear verbal expression by insisting she give him a shot was infuriating. Also, referring to a relationship with her as a "risk" and various other business metaphors gave me such major ick. They had decent chemistry at the beginning but it just devolved into something bordering on obsession and acquisition on Maverick's part that I was ready to throw in the towel at 50%. I stuck it out because again, I love Hendrix and her friendships with the women in her life and the relationship with her mom, but if I hadn't already invested myself in two books of this trilogy, I would have put this down. Hendrix sees him as being a champion of her and her work, but her independence felt sapped and overshadowed by this overly wealthy man who wouldn't give her any peace until she gave in to what he wanted.
It's not all bad, which is why I didn't reduce this to two stars. The storyline with Hendrix's mom as she battles dementia was thoughtful and heartbreaking, and the themes of Black women excelling in business and life against all the things society stacks against them were really well executed. I also love a childless by choice heroine, and the discussions around that were immaculate. I just couldn't get past my extreme distaste for the romance. Hendrix deserved so much better.
It's not all bad, which is why I didn't reduce this to two stars. The storyline with Hendrix's mom as she battles dementia was thoughtful and heartbreaking, and the themes of Black women excelling in business and life against all the things society stacks against them were really well executed. I also love a childless by choice heroine, and the discussions around that were immaculate. I just couldn't get past my extreme distaste for the romance. Hendrix deserved so much better.